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“Get inside! You’re bleeding!”
“I will not bleed any less indoors, you utter madwoman.”

What is the Book about?

The Cambridge professor, Emily Wilde, excels in many aspects: she is the leading expert on fairies, a brilliant scholar, and a meticulous researcher who is writing the first encyclopedia on fairy studies. She struggles with human interaction and prefers the company of her books, her dog Shadow, and the fairy folk. When she travels to the snowy village of Hrafnsvik for her research, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff locals. Likewise, she has no desire to spend time with her academic rival, Wendell Bambleby, whose unbearable charm manipulates the villagers, interferes with Emily’s work, and utterly confuses her. However, as Emily delves into the secrets of the hidden fairy folk, she unravels another mystery: who is her colleague Wendell Bambleby, and what does he truly want? To uncover the answer, she must first unravel the greatest mystery of all – her own heart.

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Rating
Plot ★☆☆☆☆
Characters ★★★☆☆
Excitement ★☆☆☆☆
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★☆☆

Favourite Character
Shadow

My thoughts while reading it

Firstly, I must rave about the fantastic idea the author had here. The Norse, especially Icelandic, mythology holds so many wonderful tales about fairies that they should be mentioned more often in fantasy books. Paired with the beautiful descriptions of the village and its surroundings, a great atmosphere for the story was inevitable. Normally, I’m not a fan of fairies, but here, they were implemented in a remarkable way. Whether dark, sweet, or majestic, there are various types of them, leading to a potentially very interesting concept. I immediately thought this might be like the Lady Trent series, where fairies are studied instead of dragons.

The beginning captivated me right away! Emily, unfamiliar with social conventions, manages to step into every awkward situation she can find in this charming village from the very start. It’s evident that she is a scientist and not an extroverted person you’d primarily engage with at a party. Thus, a sweet beginning was laid, promising more amusing interactions with her rival/friend later on. However, after the well-introduced beginning into this world, the suspense quickly faded. The writing style is original, but unfortunately, a consistent suspense curve is missing. This results in occasional slower passages. Also, let me mention right at the beginning that I would by no means apply the advertising terms heart-warming or cosy to this book. I was expecting something else and was pleasantly surprised by the dark and at times quite gruesome content. While I liked the ominous atmosphere, the taciturn villagers, and the occasionally flashing humour, some scenes sent a chilling shiver down my spine. I would have appreciated a book that is not cosy but rather has a mysterious setting, but, as mentioned, there was no tension here. Whenever the dark moments just started to unfold, they were immediately gone. This is where you can clearly see the pacing issues in the book. You spend pages in rather uneventful parts, which I actually enjoyed, but when something happens, it’s finished within half a page or a page. This prevents any tension from building up, and it’s evident that the book doesn’t exactly know where it wants to go or what it wants to be. While the beginning propelled me to keep reading, at some point, I became indifferent to what unfolded because I knew that if something exciting related to the fairies happened, it would be concluded in just five sentences.

The characters in the book are quirky, which I generally liked. As hinted, I enjoyed Emily with her introverted, matter-of-fact style. Unfortunately, the villagers mostly didn’t leave a strong impression on me because I couldn’t remember their Icelandic names well, leading to some confusion. However, my enthusiasm for the story declined with the arrival of Wendell. I didn’t like him as a character. While there were some good exchanges between him and Emily, I couldn’t quite buy into their “love-hate” relationship. The secret that Emily learns about Wendell during the story didn’t strike me as mysterious, since Emily had long held a suspicion that was simply confirmed. Once again, a plot line resolved within half a page. Hence, no wow effect or “I didn’t see that coming,” just a simple “Ah” and moving on. Unfortunately, I couldn’t warm up to our male protagonist by the end, and despite some explanations for his behaviour, I found it challenging to understand the connection between Emily and him.

Emily Wilde’s adventure in Iceland had the potential to become a wonderfully mystical story about the world of fairies, but due to the swiftly resolved fairy elements, it became a rather uninspiring read, lacking any significant tension. The story felt a bit too drawn out, and the male protagonist didn’t really impress me until the end. However, I can imagine that readers who enjoy quiet, atmospheric stories might find joy in it (even though I usually fall into that category and didn’t find the book good). I won’t continue with the series.

Reading Recommendation? ✘
Favourite? ✘